Political history

26 July 2013

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The
formation and development of the Kazakh state in the region of medieval
Kazakhstan was essential for combination and consolidation, maintaining of the
integrity of the Kazakh ethnic group on the long path of its development.
Written sources contain accurate information about a large late medieval state,
the Kazakh Khanate, which played a prominent role in Central Asia and in the
system of the Eurasian countries. From the middle of the XV century and before
the beginning of the XVI century, Kazakh Khanate was actually a single
political body that was more or less stable. It survived the time of formation,
growth and decline, and in the XVII century split into separate Khanates
(within the territorial limits of jüzs). The area of the Khanate has repeatedly
changed its shape under the influence of mainly foreign events, but almost
always stayed within the settlement of the Kazakh ethnic group: from the Irtysh
River and Karatal to the Syr Darya and the Ural (Yaik) and from the Altai and Tian
Shan to Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. Although, of course, in the Middle Ages
ethnic and country’s territories of Kazakhs, as well as other peoples of the
region were usually not the same.

The
territory of the Kazakh Khanate in the XV-XVII centuries, according to the
sources of that time, was at different stages of its development smaller than
ethnic Kazakh territory, the territory of their settlement in settled areas,
and within the boundaries of the main pasture and nomadic routes of Senior,
Middle and Junior jüzs. Zayn al-Din Vasifi (XVI c.) in his "Baday Al-Wakay,"
as it was mentioned above, referred the term "Kazakhstan" to the land
on the Chu and Talas in the South West Zhetysu, i.e., the area of ​​the placement of the Kazakhs that were under Zhanybek and Kerey
Khans, the area of ​​occurrence of the Kazakh Khanate in its original boundaries. The author
Mihman Nameyi Bukhara places the nomadic territories of Kazakhs far west thandoes
Zayn al-Din Vasifi. He writes that the Kazakhs (during Burunduk and Kasim Khans reigns) migrated
from the Itil (Volga) to the Syr Darya and located along it for the winter.
Inhabitants of the vast steppe territory north of the Syr Darya and the Aral
Sea, he also calls Mangits (Nogays) and Uzbeks Shaybanids. According to Russian
source, the " Book of Big Drawings» (XVII c.), "nomadic territories
of Kazakh Horde" located in the middle reaches of the Syr Darya and "600
miles" to the north of it, i.e., to Sarisu, in Ulutau, Kazakh Uplands.

Contradictory
information of the sources on the lands of the Kazakh Khanate reflects the
successes and failures of its rulers in the struggle to maintain power at
different stages of the development of the State. The rulers of the khanate
conducted an independent foreign policy; their lieges had peaceful contacts,
economic and cultural relations with neighboring peoples and countries of Middle
and Central Asia and with the Russian state. Often these relationships
interrupted by brief forays and protracted wars. In the course of military
actions and struggle for land borders, migrations of tribes and clans often
changed, but in the end, national and ethnic territories of the peoples of the
region formed. It is important to note that the Kazakh khans collected together
area already prepared to be a state and to be united by long ethno-political
and economic-cultural development.

The
development of state of the local population in the XIV-XV centuries proceeded
on the basis of the gradual recovery of the economy, cities and agriculture in
southern Kazakhstan, in the conditions of particular development of feudal
relations under the local ethnic basis, albeit under the auspices of Descent
from Genghis Khan who held power in the vast territory of Kazakhstan for more
than five centuries. But unlike the Mongol uluses that forcibly united many
diverse ethnic and political organisms, tribes and nationalities, statehood that
came had a certain ethnic basis, on the basis of evolving races. Formation of
Ak-Orda (Kok Horde), Abulkhair Khanate, Mogulistan, the Nogay Horde was a
significant step in the development of the mainly local population’s statehood in
the long run - the Kazakh nation, but along with it other nations that were forming
partly in the territory of these states. It contributed to a noticeable
evolution of the economy in the region, strengthening of economic ties between
the nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoral and settled agricultural population.
This, in turn, facilitated the communication of close by language, material and
spiritual culture ethnic groups. These states had much in common in matters of
their life: ulus system of organization of the nomadic population, in the
structures of the ruling (Khan) authorities, completion of armed forces, and
tax system. Most of these forms and structures were taken from the Mongol times
and remained at a later time in the Kazakh Khanate. Relatively stable existence
within the political framework of these states created for separate ethnic
collectives guarantee of the survival and development, the possibility, for
example, of a long and stubborn opposition to external aggression - aggressive policy
of Amir Timur, kalmak taishas, and ​​other pretenders of their territory.

Ak Orda
(Kok-Orda), Abulkhair Khanate, Moghulistan and the Nogay Horde paved the way
for the subsequent genesis of ethnically homogeneous feudal states in the
region for a closer consolidation of ethnic communities - Kazakh, Nogay, Kyrgyz
ethnic groups and, partly, Uzbek and Uighur.

However,
the entry of individual parts of forming Kazakh nation to the number of states,
as well as the constant warfare and strife of Juchids and feudal elite of clans
and tribes, leading to the loss of productive forces, including manpower, to
economic decline, dissociation of related ethnic groups, rupture of the
political and economic ties, slowed the process of consolidating nation. With
all its need, the task of overcoming the political disunity of ethnically
related groups, the state association of Kazakh tribes and clans, in fact,
already in formed in a nation stood out. The solution of this task contributed
to the decision of actual formation of the Kazakh Khanate.

The
emergence of the Kazakh Khanate was a natural result of the socio-economic and
ethno-political processes in the vast territory of East Desht-i Qipchaq, Zhetysu,
and Turkestan (southern Kazakhstan). Formation in the XIV-XV centuries of a single
economic region on the basis of the natural integration of areas with a mixed
economy, a nomadic pastoralist and sedentary agricultural, urban - trade-craft
direction economy, prepared the way for the unification of all the land of the
region to the political structure. Strengthening of economic, cultural, social
and political relations of the nomadic and sedentary population contributed to ethnic
unity of the Kazakh clans and tribes and to the actual completion of a long
process of nationality’s formation. These circumstances were objective reasons
and terms of the formation of the Kazakh state. The desire of formed large
ethno-social community to create mono national state, to its socio-territorial
and state organization, is typical not only for the late times, the time of
formation of nations, but also to the Middle Ages, when the fromation of modern
nations of Central Asia was mostly completed.

Overcoming of
fragmentation, political disunity of parts of the Kazakh people in various
states is associated with the names of Zhanybek and Kerey. Their dynastic
interests, fight against other descent from Genghis Khan for power in the
steppes coincide with the interests of different social groups of people, both
from the nobility and ordinary laborers, pastoralists and farmers. They
objectively reflected the desire of consolidate people to creat of an
independent state.

According
to the ancestry, placed in a number of sources (e.g., "Tavarih-i guzida-yi
Nusrat-name"), Janibek and Kerey were close relatives. The sources that
tell us about the actions of the first Kazakh co-rulers khans in the 50's and
70's of XV century, do not exactly explain of which of them was in charge,
their names are written beside and not in order. Both of them had the right to
rule, as a direct descendant of the Barak Khan (Janibek), and the other, as the
eldest (Kerey). But since in the states of medieval Kazakhstan along with
gradually establishing principle of the direct legacy of the Khan's power (from
father to son), the old Turkic-Mongolian principle of pre-emptive rights to the
khan's power of an elder in the genus maintained, the Kerey as Janibek could also
lay claim to the title of Khan.

A specific
course of formation of the Kazakh Khanate associated with political intra-state
of two countries in Kazakhstan, Khanate of Abulkhair (State of Uzbek nomads)
and Mogulistan, whose historical destinies in the second half of the XV century
ended with the decline and collapse. In both countries, economic power of the
nomadic elite increased, its centrifugal aspirations grew. The most influential
leaders of clans and tribes of east Desht-i Qipchaq and Zhetysu sought
political independence or looking for a patron in the person of any descent
from Genghis Khan, who in the middle of the century continued to challenge the
authority of the Abulkhair khan (in the State of nomadic Uzbeks) and Esen
Boogie (in Mogulistane).

Actions of
the first Kazakh khans aimed at creating and strengthening of unified state,
were supported by the top of the Kazakh clans and tribes, as they reflected the
interests of the ruling strata of the Kazakh society. Much of it has rallied
around Kerey and Janibek in the 40-50's in the southern regions of Kazakhstan -
in the foothills of the Karatau, in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya, and in the
northern part of Turkestan. While Abulkhair Khan was busy fighting for the consolidation
of his power in the steppe, the heirs of the Ak-Orda Khans provided a strong
power in the south of Kazakhstan. Many disgruntled by Abulkhair leaders of
clans and tribes flocked with their lieges to them.

In the
hands of Janibek and Kerey were urban centers and fortress in the foothills of
the Karatau and the Syr Darya, Suzak, Sygnak, Sauran and other smaller
fortress. Nomadic clans and tribes who supported Janibek and Kerey have experienced
significant difficulties because of the absence of the ability to make
traditional seasonal migrations to the steppes of Kazakhstan, occupied by
nomadic lieges of Abulkhair. The last ones, in turn, have been deprived of the
opportunity to migrate to the usual wintering areas in Lower and Middle reaches
of Syr Darya and conduct trade exchange.

Adversarial
relationship between the tribes of Shaybany Ulus and Hord’s Ulus have worsened
after the occupation of Suzak, Signak, Arkuka, Uzgenda, Ak-Kurgan by Abulkhair
in 1446. Lieges of Janibek and Kerey concentrated in the lower reaches of the
Syr Darya and the eastern foothills of the Karatau. From this political
fragmentation suffered both Lieges of Shaybany and Kazakh rulers, because the
traditional economic and cultural relations, ethno-political mutual
communication were broken. The position of the Kazakh clans and tribes subordinated
by Kerey and Zhanibek became even more cramped, after the defeat of Abulkhair by
Kalmaks (Oirat) in the late 50's.

Back in the 20's of XV century, Kalmaks began
to attack Zhetysu in search of grazing, mining, entering shopping malls. Abulkhair
Khan suffered a severe defeat from them in 1457. Making peace with Abulkhair in
heavy conditions, Kalmaks went through Chu to their land, and Abulkhair began with
brutal measures restoring order in his uluses, including the south of
Kazakhstan, where he cracked down does not recognizing his authority Juchids.
Actions of Abulkhair and the inability of Mogolistan Khan to protect the
population of Zhetysu from kalmak hordes, had led to even more frustration of
the masses.

Almost unstoppable
strife and war seriously reflected on the situation of the masses. Military
actions were torn ordinary nomads from productive labor, carrying them distress
and desolation, sickness, and death. Indignation of the masses poured into the
characteristic nomadic form of resistance of the medieval society: departure,
carting away from the authority of their governor. From the late 50s of the XV
century, within a decade, there was a mass shifting of the Kazakh population of
East Desht-i Qipchaq, oases of Turkestan and the foothills of Karatau to the
western part of the Zhetysu, the territory of Mogolistan. Janibek and Kerey headed clans and tribes who
went beyond the Abulkhair Khanate. The news of this first appeared in the
"Tarikh-i Rashidi" written by Muhammad Haydarduglat. Mahmud ben Wali
stresses that Janibek and Kerey refused to obey Abulkhair Khan and explained
their refusal by the tradition of succession of power in the steppes by descent
from Genghis Khan that ensured their rights as descendants of the Ak-Orda Khans
to power in East Desht-i Qipchaq.

The fact that the flight of disaffected
population was not an isolated act, but lasted for many years, has been
confirmed by the number of sources. It is especially intensified after the
death of Abulkhair in 1468 and the collapse of his government: "While they
[the Kazakh khans] prosper there, Uzbek ulus after the death of Abulkhair Khan
came to the disorder,and big troubles began [there]. Most of [his lieges]
migrated to Kerey Khan and Janibek Khan, so the number [of the people] [gathered]
aside them had reached two hundred thousand". This action of the masses
was the beginning of the subsequent unification of disparate groups of Kazakhs,
including ones from Zhetysu in one state.

Kazakh Khanate was originally occupied the
territory of the West Zhetusy, Chu and Talas valley. It combined both moved
from the Central and Southern Kazakhstan Kazakhs and local tribes. The governor
of Mogulistan, Esen-Bug did not have real power to stop migrated there Kazakhs.
He entered into an alliance with the Kazakh leaders, hoping by their help to
secure the borders of Mogulistan territory from the claims of Abulkhair,
Timurids, and invasions of Kalmaks. After
the death of Esen Bug in 1462, anarchy came to Mogolistan. In these
circumstances, the emergence and consolidation of the Kazakh Khanate in Zhetusy
was quite natural. Mohammed Haydar Dulati considers the formation of the Kazakh
Khanate in 870 year of the Hijra (1465 – 1466 years).

In the following decades of the XV – beginning of the XVI century, Kazakh Khanate economically
strengthened and expanded geographically. Its territory included a significant
part of the territory of the ethnic Kazakhs. The strengthening of the Kazakh
Khanate was happening in the challenging environment of recent decades of the XV
century, filled with wars, strife, large and small migrations of population
within Kazakhstan and Central Asian region. Shaybanid Abulkhair Khan’s Khanate got
away from the scene in East Desht-i Qipchaq; At the end of XV and early XVI
centuries, a military and political power of the Timurid state became the thing
of the past as it finally lost its
power over Mawarannahr against the leader of the nomadic Uzbeks grandson of
Abulkhair, Muhammad Shaybani. Mogolistan, actually, split out into several
fiefdoms. As a result of the final collapse of the Golden Horde in the areas
located north and west of the Kazakh steppes, new states carved out - Siberian,
Kazan, and Astrakhan Khanates.

Kazakh
khans immediately intervened in the struggle for power in the stepp eafter the
death of Abulkhair Khan. Their main opponents were the heirs of Abulkhair Khan
- his son Shaykh - Haidar and grandchildren Muhammad Shaibani and Mahmud - sultan.
Their allies were long-time supporters Ahmad Khan (a descendant of Tuk-Timur),
Shaybanid Ibak Khan who in the 60's seized power in most of the Western Siberia,
mangyt (Nogay) Mirzs. After the death of Shaykh - Haydar, Abulkhair’s
grandchildren escaped to Turkestan, where they received help from the Timurid
governor Mazid-tarkhan. The main events in the history of the Kazakh Khanate in
the last third of the XV century played out in this region; they determined the
fate of the young state, and also determined the possibility of political union
of numerous tribal groups, that entered in the Kazakh nationality, and its
ethnic territory in the same state.

Syr Darya and Karatau district were the closest
to the possessions of the Kazakh khans in West Zhetysu. Janibek and Kerey Khan
primarily sought to have a right to these lands as they owned them by inheritance,
including the city of Suzak, Sygnak, etc. But the main reason of Khans-Juchids fight
for power over East Desht-i Qipchaq waged not so much in the steppe, but in
Turkestan, was the economic and strategic importance of the region.

Towns near
Syr Darya were important centers of trade and economic ties to the population
of the steppe areas; were also important for their fortresses that were
excellent for their time and could withstand a long siege. Traditionally, they
were the administrative and political centers of the previous state formations
on the territory of Kazakhstan. Lands located in the lower and middle reaches
of the Syr Darya were necessary for Kazakh nomadic tribes as a valuable winter
grazing. However, use of these pastures could only be possible unless the key
points of this territory, the fortress city of Turkestan and Karatau are owned
by you.

Previously
mentioned reasons that prompted Kazakh khans in the first years after the
establishment of the Khanate to fight for the towns near Syr Darya and
Turkestan as a whole, are also fully applied to their opponent, Muhammad
Shaybani, when he was trying to restore Shaybanyd’s power in East Desht-i
Qipchaq. In turn, the Timurids of Maverannahr defended once captured by them Ak
Orda city’s that they turned into a fortresses against the nomads of the steppe
regions. Mogul khan,Yunus, and his son Sultan Mahmud also intervened in the
fight; they tried to get cities in the south of Kazakhstan under the decadence of
Mogulistan and leaving of the Kazakh Zhetysu and Kyrgyz districts in front of the
Tien Shan from their government.

Kazakh
khans in the ensuing three decades of struggle had a doubtless real force, the
large masses of nomads rallied around them, they had a strong rear in Zhetysu, and
they were often supported by the local authorities and population of Turkestan.
Steps, in attracting allies of the other contenders for power in the steppes, have
also been successful in Turkestan. They managed to win over the Emir of the
Nogay Horde, Mirza Musa, who has promised beforehand to make Muhammad Shaybani
the "Khan of Desht-i Qipchaq".

There were several major battles - under
Sauran, Suzak, near the Sogunluk pass in the mountains Karatau, and among other
places in the 70-ies. Yasa (Turkestan), Sygnak was captured by Kazakh khans,
then by Muhammad Shaybani; victories and defeats were fallen to both of the
warring parties. In one of the battles, Sultan Mahmud son of the Janibek Khan
died. He was the ruler of Suzak, while his brother, Irenchi held Sauran. One of
the prominent leaders of Kazakh troops in this period was the Kerey Khan’s son,
Burunduk who ruled until about 1473/74year). Some sources call him Khan in about
the mid 70s, the other - from year 1480. During the reign of Burundul, Kasim,
the son of Janibek Khan became known. He
was born somewhere in 1455. He was a successful military leader, Chief man of
the cavalry, and participated in many battles.

In the 80th
- 90th years struggle for cities of Syr Dariya and their oases continued
with varying success. Kazakhs as Uzbeks-shaybanids repeatedly besieged Sygnak
and Yasa, Arkuk and Sauran, and often the siege lasted for several months. One
of the episodes of the struggle ended with the surrender of Sygnak in which
Muhammad Shaybani left his troops. The residents of Sygnak justified their
actions by saying that "before this vilayet belonged to Burunduk Khan".
Another time, Sauran was given to Burunduk Khan by its inhabitants; Kazakhs has
also been issued by brother of Muhammad Shaibani with all its surroundings located
in the city. The siege of Otyrar in the late 90's ended in a truce between
Muhammad Shaibani and Burunduk Khan.

The outcome of the fight by the end of the XV
century was the inclusion in the Kazakh Khanate Suzak, Signak, Sauran cities.
Mohammed Shaibani kept in his hands Otyrar, Yasi, Uzgend, Arkuk relying on
which, as well as supported him Uzbek tribes of Desht-i Qipchaq, he was able to
win over the Timurids of Maverannahr. Muhammad Shaybani did not have real strength
to struggle for power in steppe, in fact, he was forced to limit the struggle only
for the territory of the Syr Darya, as in the first years lost any opportunity
to assert his authority in the former possessions of his grandfather, Abulkhair,
in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Joining of the oases near Syr Darya to the
Kazakh Khanate was the key to the success in the unification of the country by the
Kazakh khans. By the end of the XV century, the original boundaries of the
state expanded. It includes in addition to West Zhetysu and the above-mentioned
cities in South Kazakhstan region, Karatau with surrounding steppe areas, the
lower reaches of the Syr Darya and Northern Aral Sea, a large part of central
Kazakhstan. Many Juchids retired from Kazakhstan to seek fortune in Astrakhan, Siberia,
and Kazan Khanates. Under the authority of the Kazakh khans passed more and
more Kazakh clans and tribes, and the Nogays entered in close alliance with
them. In fact, in the beginning of the XVI century, Kazakh khanate occupied the
territory of its predecessor, Ak-Orda (Kok Horde) and part of Mogulistan.
Muhammad Haidar, wrote that "during the whole time until the 940's
(1533-34 years), Kazakhs completely reigned in most of Uzbekistan [i.e. Eastern
Desht-i Qipchaq]".

Kazakh
Khanate reached its greatest power in the first quarter of the XVI century, especially
under the rule of Kasym Khan (1512 - 1521 years). In fact, he started to govern
while Burunduk was still a Khan.

Since the beginning of his reign, power passed
to the descendants of Janibek. Even in the period of confrontation of Burunduk
and Kasim, Muhammad Shaybani made ​​several trips to the territory of the Kazakhs. Kazakh sultans
also raided the southern part of the city of Turkestan and Maverannahr.
Fazlallah ibn Ruzbikhan Isfahani who was the member of one of the campaigns of
Muhammad Shaybani (1509), informed about the huge number and diversity of captured
loot from plundered Ulus of Dzhanysh Sultan. More than ten thousand Kazakh
yurts on carts with household goods, property, clothing and a variety of goods,
riding horses, cows, camels, sheep, whose number is "impossible to count”
was captured. This information provides insights not only about the economic
power of the Kazakhs, but also about large losses that they incur in endless
war. As a result, the three campaigns of Shaibani against the Kazakhs managed him
to temporarily displace the Kazakh rulers outside the oases of Turkestan.

In the next
1510 year, Muhammad Shaibani again came to Sygnak, but suffered a crushing
defeat of the troops of the sultan Kasym; the remains of Uzbeks escaped to
Samarkand. At the end of that year, Muhammad Shaybani died in Khorasan under the
Merv, in a battle with the Shah of Iran.

Kasym Khan
did not fail to take advantage of these circumstances to consolidate his power
in southern Kazakhstan. The fight of the descendants of Muhammad Shaybani with
the Timurid Zahir al-Din Muhammad Babur diverted attention of Shaybanidovs from
Turkestan. A number of its southern cities recognized the power of Babur. In
Sairam and its neighborhood, Babur appointed Katta-Beck as the governor. But
then, in 1512, Shaybanid Ubaydallah-Sultan defeated Babur; the governors of the
last were expelled from their possessions. Besieged in Sairam Katta Bek managed
to resist the Uzbeks; he stayed in the fort through the winter and in early
spring of 1513 called Kasim Khan for help, who was wintering at Karatal and
promised to hand over to him the fortress. Kasim accepted the offer; Katta-Bey
persuaded Kasim Khan to oppose Shaybanid Suyundzh Hodja, who ruled at the time
in Tashkent. Sacking neighborhood of the city, Kazakhs returned to Sairam.

Kasim
maintained friendly relations with Mogulistan’s Khan, Sultan Said. Mogulistan’s
Khan offered Kasim to organize a joint campaign to Tashkent at the end of the
summer of the same year, but Kasim declined the offer, citing the need to
"think about the wintering grounds, since [collection] and the
construction of the troops are not feasible at this time."

Kasim Khan
asserted his dominance over the vast steppes of Kazakh territory. Leaving of Said
Sultan in 1514 to the East Turkestan, has led to the strengthening of the power
of the Kazakh Khan in Zhetysu. Under his authority in the West migrated group
from of clans and tribes of going through a crisis Nogay Horde. The boundaries
of the Khanate extended to basin of Yaik. In the south, the ownership of Kasim
Khan reached Syr Darya, including Sairam vilayet. In the north and north-east, Kasim’s
ownership extended far beyond Ulutau and Balkhash Lake.

For the
first time after the Mongol conquest of the territory of Kazakhstan almost all
Kazakh clans and tribes, including Zhetusy have been merged into a single state.
The number of lieges of Kasim Khan admitted by his contemporaries (Mirza
Muhammad Haidar) was a million people. Under his rule western countries learned
about Kazakh state. Embassy contacts of Kazakh Khanate with Moscow state began.
Crimean Khan in correspondence with the Turkish authorities expressed concern
over the expansion of Kazakh lands to the west.

In the
20-ies, after the death of Kasim, feuding of sultans Juchids weakened the
Kazakh Khanate for a while. In the internecine fighting successor of Kasim Khan,
Mamash has been killed. Another unfavorable factor was the alliance of Moghul and
Uzbek khans against the rulers of the Kazakh Khanate. Towns near Syr Darya were
lost, Turkestan vilayet was subordinate by Shaybanid Ubaydallah-Sultan. Kazakh Khan.
Tahir (1523-1533) suffered a setback in the fight against the Nogay Horde; he unsuccessfully
tried to recapture cities of Syr Darya. Strifes forced Tahir to flee in Zhetysu,
where in alliance with the Kyrgyzs he reflected the attempts of Mogul Khan,
Said Sultan to regain power in that area. Under the rule of Buydashe Khan, who
was the brother of Tahir, Kazakhs were defeated by Mogul Khan, Abdur-Rashid in
1537.

According
to other sources he was killed in battle with the Uzbeks under Sairam in 1559; another
20 Kazakh sultans were killed with him. Kadyrgali Dzhalairy noted that the
Uzbeks in this battle had been led by Dervish Khan, son of the ruler of
Turkestan and Tashkent, Shaybanid Barack (Nauruz Ahmed Khan). Almost until the
end of the XVI century, towns near Syr Darya, Sygnakm Sauranm Otyrar, and
Turkestan (Yasi city was called so from the XVI century) and others were part
of the state of Shaybanids of Maverannahr. In that period of the history,
Kazakh Khanate’s territory was limited from the south through the lower reaches
of the Syr Darya and Karatau mountains.

The main
areas of political activity of Kazakh khans in second third of the XVI century were
south-east, where in alliance with the Kyrgyz they fought the Moghuls and Oirats,
as well as the west and north, where the Kazakhs came into complex
relationships with Nogays, Bashkirs, and Tatars. First steps in these areas of a
prominent Kazakh Khan, Hak-Nazar 1538-1580) have been successful. Hak-Nazar
Khan battled Oirats and Abdur-Rashid Khan of Mogulistan, and had stood, for a
while, the Kazakh lands to the east and south of Zhetysu. To counter the
hostile actions of Siberian Khan, Kuchum, Hak Nazar established allied
relations with the Uzbek Khan Abdallah.

Hakk Nazar
Khan tried to restore the land of the Kazakhs that formed the vast territory of
the Kazakh Khanate under the rule of his father, Kasim. But in the face of
severe foreign policy situation this task as a whole has become impossible. In
his time, Russian state after the conquest of Kazan, Astrakhan, and then the
Siberian Khanates approached to the borders of the Kazakh steppes. Nogays,
Bashkirs, Siberian Tatars flooded to the Kazakh steppe, Karakalpaks appeared on
the Syr Darya. In Zhetysu, meanwhile, oirats (Dzhungars) occupied the land,
ousting the Kazakhs of the Great Juz. At some point, the Kazakh authorities
controlled only areas on the south of the Ulutau on Sarisu in the Northern Aral
Sea, in Karatau, in West Zhetysu, about the limits shown in the "Book of Big
Drawings." The boundaries of the Khanate changed not only in terms of
military and diplomatic abilities, won or defeat of the Khans, but mainly under
the foreign circumstances. At the same time, some Kazakhs remained in their
places of residence and fell under the authority of the neighboring states and
rulers. Kazakhs living on the territory of Turkestan became lieges of the Uzbek
Barak Khan ad his son, Baba Sultan. Very often under the authority of the other
rulers of the steppe, passed pastoral people of nomadic spaces, for example,
the Kazakh clans roamed the Siberian Khanate, went out to Baraba steppes,
inhabited at that time by Chat Tatars. Nomadic territories in East Kazakhstan
and Dzhungar inhibited by Kazakhs and Oirats mixed, depending on the military
successes of leaders of those or other nations. And under the power of Hak Nazar
Khan passed the part of the Nogays living from Emba River, to the Aral Sea and the
Syr Darya; subsequently they vanished in the Junior Juz.

The process
of incorporation of the western lands that were part of the Nogay Horde (the
part of the collapsed Golden Horde) into the Kazakh state was a complex and
lengthy. In the middle of the XVI century, in Emba, Altaulsk Horde freed from
the Noga Horde, which was in decline and disarray; in fact, Altaulsk Horde was
independent until the beginning of XVII century. Hak-Nazar Khan managed to take
control of the land from the Syr Darya to the Aral Sea and along the left bank
of Emba and Yaik, taking under his own power part of the Nogay uluses.
Afterwards, he wanted to move further to the west. However, in the western, as
well as the northern borders of the Kazakh Khanate obstacle to their expansion
was the Russian state.

In the Southern
Kazakhstan, Hak Nazar Khan tried to push the vicious circle of his possessions
that did not have access to the trade, craft and farming centers. By supporting
of Shaybanid Abdallah, in his struggle with the rebel Baba Sultan, he received
a promise from Abdallah Khan to own several cities in the Turkistan
governorate. Baba Sultan also sought for help from the Kazakh khan and also
promised to give as a suyurgal "vilayets of Yasi and Sauran," but
instead killed Kazakh sultans who came to negotiate, including two sons of Haqq
Nazar. Haqq Nazar soon died too.

Shigay
(1580-1582), a descendant of the Zhanybek Khan became the next Khan. He and his
sons also supported the Uzbek Khan against Baba Sultan, in particular
participated in the famous march of Abdallah in 1582 through Turkestan, where
the last one was besieging the fortresses of Sairam, Sauran, and Turkestan. On the way
back, Baba Sultan was killed by Kazakh sultan Tawakkul (Tevekkel), the son of
Shigay. Cities of Syr Darya were surrendered by Abdullah Khan, where he put his
governors. Kazakh rulers as a reward for their help got the lands in Central
Asia. Other ways of holding in Syr Darya region were needed, and that meant Khanate
had to become stronger.

In 1586,
Tavakkul captured a number of cities in Turkestan and was trying to take
Tashkent. In the period from 1586 to 1594, he had to assert his right to be a
khan in the long struggle with other Kazakh sultans, sons of Hak Nazar. Establishing
relations with Moscow, in which he saw the possibility of a military alliance
to deal with the Uzbek Khan, Tavakkul Khan in 1598 undertook a new campaign to
Central Asia. In one of the battles he defeated the army of Abdullah and returned
to Turkestan. In the same year, using peaceful environment in the north-western
borders of the state and civil strife of Shaybanids in Central Asia, the
replacement of this dynasty by the new dynasty of Ashtarkhanids, he
successfully completes a long struggle for the cities of Syr Darya. By taking a
new expedition to Central Asia, Tavakkul Khan took Ahsi, Andijan, Tashkent
cities, but in one of the battles was seriously wounded and died in the same
year in Tashkent.

According
to the agreement of the new Kazakh Khan, Esim (1598-1628), the son of Shigay
Khan, with the representative of Ashtarkhanids
Turkestan with its cities was included to the Kazakh Khanate, as well as Tashkent
with its vilayet, and for a while Fergana . But sovereignty of Ashtarkhanids
was spread in Tashkent (mention of the name of the Khan of the dynasty in the
khutba and in the coins minted in Tashkent, sending him part of the taxes
collected in the governorate, and etc.). Kazakh rulers violated these terms,
which caused a long struggle in the beginning of the XVII century between
Kazakh and Uzbek khans.

And this is
who ended the long struggle of Kazakh Khans for settled agricultural areas in
southern Kazakhstan and towns in the middle Syr Darya. Since then, this region forever
entered the territory of the Kazakh state and, also, Tashkent but only for two hundred
years.

Decades of
war near Syr Darya cities led to the ruin of the local population, urban decay,
destruction of irrigation systems, and reduce of farming. Military actions,
foray of opponents violated trade and adversely affected the economic situation
in the pastoral areas of the steppe. With the entry of southern Kazakhstan as a
developed economic and cultural region in the single state an opportunity to
overcome these negative phenomena finally appeared.

In the XVII century, internal political life in
Kazakhstan was not stable. Kazakh Khanate increasingly disintegrated into
pieces, feudal strife became stronger. Different groups of nomadic elite
competed with each other. In the south, two Khans proclaimed themselves as
Khans. Esim, successor of Tawakkul Khan made his capital city in Turkestan. In
Tashkent, Turzun Muhammad Khan, son of Sultan Zhalim (pedigree is unknown) declared
himself as an independent khan. Gradually, in each of the three juzs independent
Khans appeared. The external position of the Kazakh Khanate, on all its
borders, particularly in the south and east become complicated. Bukhara
Imamkuli Khan tried to take Tashkent away, and supported the separatism of
individual sultans. In 1612, in response to the attacks of Kazakh troops in the
vicinity of Bukhara, Imamkuli Khan marched on the Kazakh land, passed Turkestan
"to the extremes of Ashpar and Karatau", sacking several towns and
villages. In Tashkent, he put his son as the governor, who was soon overthrown
and killed. In response, Imamkuli arranged a massacre in the city. In his claim
to Tashkent, he used enmity of two Kazakh khans. In 1627, Tursun-Muhammad was
killed by Esim Khan. Esim died a year later. Bukharan troops reoccupied
Tashkent. However, the heir of Esim Khan, his son Jangir was able to convince
the ruler of Bukhara in need of a military alliance to reflect the common danger
from the east - the invasion of Oirats.

With the formation in 1635 of Dzhungar Khanate
increased risk of seizure of Kazakh lands in Irtysh and Zhetysu by Oirats.
Pressed by the Qing Empire, in search of pasture and access to trade and craft
center of the south Kazakhstan and Central Asia, they do not weaken the
pressure on the Kazakh land. Already in the 20's. XVII, large masses of Oirats
roamed Omi, Tobol, Ishim, and Irtysh. Oirats located on the wintering grounds
in Ili and Talas. Kazakhs were pushed back to the south and west, where clashed
with living on their lands Uzbeks, Karakalpaks, Nogays, and Bashkirs. In 1644,
Jangir Khan, who spoke with Samarkand army led by Zhalantos-batyr, defeated one
of Dzungarian units. In the 80-ies of XVII century, Dzhungar army under the
command of huntayshi Galdan invaded Zhetysu and Southern Kazakhstan. Several
Kazakh uluses were defeated, captured nine cities, including, mentioned by
sources Sairam, Mankent, Karasman, Shymkent, Tashkent and others. Residents of Sairam
adequately resisted; left by Galdan governor was killed which caused the
re-invasion of the Oirat army in South Kazakhstan . Sairam was taken and
destroyed, part of its inhabitants were taken away to Dzungaria and East
Turkestan.

Strengthening of the Kazakh Khanate during the
reign of Tauke Khan (1680-1718), an alliance with the Kyrgyz and Kazakhs
Karakalpaks weakened for a while the onslaught of Dzhungars on Kazakh lands.
During their attack in 1680 on the South Kazakhstan , only Turkestan was not
sacked by Dzhungars as there were troops
of Tauke Khan. Dzungarian riots were one of the major reasons of the gradual
extinction of life in the cities in the south of Kazakhstan. Dzhungarian raids
cut the important trade routes, causing great damage to civilian economy.

The difficult economic and political situation
in Kazakhstan was caused by incessant strife, unstable relations with the
rulers of Central Asia. Fragmentation condition and weakening of the Kazakh
Khanate affected the integrity of not only on the state’s territory under the
rule of Khans but also on ethnicity territory. Contentions of lieges, competing
for power in the pasture lands, and khans, sultans, tribal factions of the
aristocracy for the power over the cities slowed the pace of socio-cultural
development, prevented the creation of conditions for the consolidation of
statehood on the territory of Kazakhstan, effective protection of indigenous
people's land. Tauke Khan managed to somehow normalize the political situation
in the tottering Khanate. He undertook a number of measures to raise the
prestige of the Khan's power, to overcome the separatism of the nobility, and the
consolidation of the people. Under his rule, it was drawn up a set of rules of
customary law "Jeti Zhargy", which established the basic principles
of law and government. Tauke Khan looked for unions and peaceful relations with
neighboring states.

But the relative calm did not last long. Dzhungars
raids on Kazakh lands took place in 1710/11, 1713, 1718 years. In 1724/25
years, Dzhungars defeated the city of Turkestan and Tashkent, and in 1723 - the
year of the "Great Disaster" swept away part of the Kazakh people
outside their ethnic territory. Many people fled to Central Asia, which could
not aggravate relations with the local population; while others migrated to west,
to Emba, Yaik, Or and Yui, squeezing out Nogays, Bashkirs, Kalmyks of the
Volga, and their own relatives, the Kazakhs of Junior juz from its
neighborhoods. Each of these people tried to defend their land, unwittingly
taking the pressure of the migrants, who, in turn, were affected by a stronger
opponent. Kazakh tribes and clans of the Middle Juz were under the increasing
pressure, economic and political, of Russian authorities, settled in southern
Siberia, in the Irtysh area, on the grounds of the Altai. The massive lost of
livestock and pasture has led to a significant worsening of the economic crisis
in the Senior and Middle Juzs. The reduction of land and lieges weakened the
position of the Khans, intensified enmity and discord. In a difficult economic
and political environment, arose the question of applying for Russian
citizenship. Further stages of the political, economic and ethno-cultural
history of the Kazakhs are associated with the time of Russian colonization of
Kazakh lands.

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